[Eco-Friendly Floors] Categories of Green

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There are many different ways a floor can be considered environmentally conscious.  So to help you choose the best eco-friendly option for you and your home, I'm going to explain the 4 basic categories that Earth friendly floors can fall in.

Carpet One International's Green Standard

Sustainable Flooring:

Floors that typically fall within this category have a small footprint, or effect on the environment.

• less resources are removed from our environment
• quickly renewable resources are utilized
• only natural products are use in the construction

Floors that fall within this category include bamboo flooring, cork floors, wool rugs and carpet, and linoleum.  The sustainability of these floors depend upon the environmental responsibility of the manufacturers.

Plus, many top manufacturers are looking for ways to decrease the environmental footprint of their facilities through various efforts such as increased energy efficiency, utilization of alternative energy sources, and offsetting carbon.

Recycled/Reclaimed Floors:

As our society's concern for the environment increases, so do the efforts of various flooring manufacturers to decrease the environmental footprint of their products.  This is why the number of floors with recycled content is multiplying.

As an industry, we are...

• diverting more and more carpet from landfills
• collecting wood from unused buildings and re-purposing it into floors
• finding ways to re-purpose old products (vinyl tiles, plastic bottles, etc) into new floors

Note on Recyclable Floors: There are many floors out there that can be recycled into new products or floors, not all of these contain recycled material.

Highly Durable Flooring:

There are floors that are considered 'for life' floors because they are meant to outlast you (and possibly a generation or two of your descendants). 

The use of these floors in your home reduces the use of resources because you don't have to replace them.  These types of floors include...

• wool rugs and carpet
• hardwood
• natural stone tile
• ceramic and porcelain tile

Healthy Flooring:

This category includes floors and related products that make your environment in addition to the world's environment healthier.  This could mean...

• minimal to no harmful emissions (VOC's) - many floors have been improved to meet emission standards including most carpets carpets, Amtico's luxury vinyl tile, and Marmoleum's natural linoleum - and don't forget to ask about the installation glue
• the conscientious use of safe chemicals only when necessary - most reputable flooring manufacturers have this mindset
• floors and related products that can improve air quality - carpet and area rugs act like air filters and the new Healthy Living Installation System is a great way to protect (and possibly improve) the air quality in your home
• the elimination of toxic or unhealthy materials (such as lead) - all reputable manufacturers have removed any known toxins from their floors

Which category described above is most important to you?  Did I miss a category?  How do you reduce your environmental footprint? Please let me know what you think using the comment section below.

A New Chapter in the My Favorite Saturday Series

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It's time for a new chapter of the 'My Favorite' blog series for Saturday mornings where we hear about what Mercer's team of experienced, trained flooring design consultants think about certain floors.

This section of the series will not focus on one product line, instead you can expect reviews on a variety of items.  I'm going to be sharing reviews of great carpets like some of our Soft Bigelow lines plus some fantastic hardwoods like Armstrong's Premier Collection.

So, check back in next Saturday around 10am to see the new post!  I'd love to know what you think!

P.S. - I'd also love to get your feedback on these quick polls!

Who is Your Superhero?

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Carpet One Floor and Home International is hosting another contest.  This time you can nominate someone to win a trip to Universal's Islands of Adventure!

Universal's Islands of Adventure, Orlando, Florida, USA

All you have to do to enter is tell us about your real-life superhero.

My Superhero is...

You can nominate anyone!  It could be your...

• spouse
• child
• teacher
• neighbor
• anyone that has saved the day
• someone that has been out of the ordinary, always going above and beyond

Tell us about them here and they could win (plus you can read and vote for previous submissions)!

So, please tell me, who are you going to nominate and why?

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Pst! Did you know that there are actually people that live normal lives by day but fight crime and evil by night? Take a look at this video to learn more:

[My Favorite] Tigressa Soft Style Carpet by Joel Corchaine

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Joel Corchaine is the manager of our Ellicott City/Columbia Showroom.

“Tigressa is one of my favorite carpets to talk about.

“Being a softer, stronger carpet than your basic carpet, Tigressa will outperform. With the latest technology in manufacturing, the fiber is half the size of a human hair. This gives you an ultra soft texture. With that said, the microfibers show less matting, crushing, and wear. They took the top nylon fibers to the next level by improving the wear, softness, durability, and color enhancement.

“They are so sure of the performance that they back it up with Platinum and Gold level warranties including the Beautiful Guarantee, Wear, and Texture Retention. Plus, they back it up even further with Soil, Stain, and Installation warranties. And do not forget the 10 Year No Exclusions Stain Warranty that 3M includes on all Tigressa carpets.

“My favorite style is Lost in Soft because of its thickness. My favorite color is Solar Wind which offers a two tone color that will go in almost every room.”

What carpet do you currently have in your home? What do you like about it?  What would you like to improve upon?

Super Performance Flooring: Titanium Durability and Beauty

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The definition of superhero: A person or item that possesses superior qualities that benefit many.

There are floors that possess superior performing qualities that increase the quality of life of any who have it in their home.  Here are some superhero floors; all of which are backed with our Titanium Warranties.



Our Titanium Carpet Warranties



Carpet: Relax it's Lee's -

Relax it's Lee's carpet is the best carpet made and that claim is backed by the best warranties in the industry:

• Our 120 Day Beautiful Guarantee - You have 120 days to decide if you love your floor; if not, we will replace it (no matter the reason), free
• Our Life of the Floor Installation Warranty - For 25 years, we will stand behind the work of our master installers
• 25 year Stain and Soil Warranties - Relax it's Lee's carpet, with it's superior stain and soiling technology, is 100% stain proof for 25 years and is easy to clean
• 25 Year Texture Retention and Wear Warranties - Your Relax it's Lee's carpet is guaranteed not to mat, crush, thin, or ugly out with proper maintenance and care (even superheros need the occasional helping hand) because of it's superior construction

Hardwood: Invincible -

A new addition to the industry's selection of premier hardwoods is Invincible Hardwood: guaranteed to out-perform and outlast:

• 120 Day Beautiful Guarantee - take 120 days be decide if you love it
• Life of the Floor Installation Guarantee - the 'life' of this floor is 50 years
• 50 year Wear and Finish Warranties - this hardwood handles wear better because of it's diamond-strong finish
• 50 year Manufacturing and Structural Integrity Warranties - with precision manufacturing techniques, quality control is top notch

Flex Floor Vinyl: Titanium Earthscapes -

Earthscapes has the deserved reputation for being a no-worry floor and the Titanium quality level is even more deserving of this reputation.

• 120 Day Beautiful Guarantee - we promise that you'll love your new floor
• Life of the Floor Installation Guarantee - we stand behind the high quality work of our in-house installation crews
• 25 year Fade, Stain, and Discolor Warranty - this floor will not ugly out (and with the stunningly realistic designs, it is a great way to add style to even the most active of spaces)
• 25 year Wear Through Warranty - it can handle the pressure of any active home
• 25 year Rip, Tear, Gouge, and Indent Warranty - but we cannot promise that it isn't vunerable to kryptonite

If you have any of these floors in your home, what do you think of them?  How do their superior qualities improve your quality of life?  (P.S. - We'd love to see pictures of them on our Facebook Page!)